Powering spatial data infrastructure in Italy

1. Renzo Carlucci, GEOmedia Powering spatial data infrastructure in Italy  Xth Anniversary International Scientific and Technical Conference «From imagery to map: digital photogrammetric technologies» September 20-23 Gaeta, Italy

2. In recent years, consumer demand for information related to geographic information, geospatial, has skyrocketed Geospatial growing market

3. just think for example GPS positioning systems and their integration with digital maps that led to the forefront of portable navigation devices used daily by million people

4. The government and politicians themselves are increasing using geospatial information to produce maps of floodplains, conducting census, mapping foreclosures or respond to requests for natural hazards such as earthquakes, fires and floods. 

5. To policy makers, this type of data can be of great help to clarify the complex issues that may affect the local and central governments on land management.

6. preserving the richness of our land is linked to the thin thread of his detailed knowledge today transferable on the decision tables only through aninfrastructureofgeospatial data  for a more accurate and objective representation.

7. A comparison between Italy and the United States can give us interesting insights. 

8. In the U.S. the acquisition and exploitation of national geospatial data is managed centrally by the federal government through the FGDC. Flood maps production, land management, planning the reconstruction of ecosystems and analyzing the vulnerability and response to natural hazards such as hurricanes and earthquakes are examples of how the federal government uses this information to respond to national needs.

9. FGDC - The Federal Geographic Data Committee for a national spatial data infrastructure which represents “technology, policies, standards, human resources and related activities necessary to acquire, process, distribute, use, maintain and store spatial data”. Since 1990 the U.S. federal government has recognized the need to organize and coordinate the collection and management of geospatial data, implementing a court employee, the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) to promote the coordinated use, sharing and dissemination of geospatial data at national level.

10. The U.S. geospatial market turnover reaches $ 30 billion annually (2009) at the rate of increase of 35% per year. 

11. In Italy the situation is complex enough as it is still ongoing a transition from the traditional cartographic school, which boasted ancient traditions, to the recent school using geospatial data in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). …a transition from the traditional cartographic school to new digital spatial infrastructure is still in progress…

12. the relationship between the State and the Regions, in Italy has suffered a lot if you consider for example that the adoption of a single national reference system lost in the years 70s in the transfer of power from Central to Local administration has not yet been redefined at the central level, allowing greater freedom to the various Italian regions with unpredictable consequences, in terms of damage, comparable only to those preceding the adoption of standardized measurement systems. 

13. The infrastructure similar to the NSDI, in Europe started in 2001 with the INSPIRE initiative (Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe), In Italy the European Inspire Directive came into force May 15, 2008 and was implemented in last January 2010 INSPIRE is an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community, referring to the spatial data available in electronic form held by public authorities which collect in their institutional duties or individuals carrying out activities may have an impact on the environment. 

14. But the real Italian problem, not yet solved, is the lack of a central body to coordinate at the national level analog to the FGDC. Just think that in 1960 we had 5 cartographic state officials bodies coordinated by a (now-cancelled!) Geodetic Commission. We have today a few dozen of bodies badly coordinated with consequent increase in costs to the detriment of the quality of the knowledge of geospatial data. 

15. But the U.S., almost in complete contrast with Italy and Europe, still struggling to establish the first reel NSDI, has launched a new NSDI 2.0 based on the motto: 

16. NSDI 2.0: Powering our National Economy, Renewing our Infrastructure, Protecting our Environment

17. A renewed vision of geospatial data infrastructure, could be an engine for the acquisition of new resources for state and local data and to improve the production of critical spatial data for environmental monitoring, operations updating and maintenance that could have triggered a chain reaction whose impact goes well beyond the initial investment made to create and manage the next generation of spatial data in our country.

18. Freely available, high quality and high resolution spatial data NSDI 2.0 could allow to modernize and simplify a multitude of outdated bureaucratic and business processes on paper, to enhance efficiency and transparency at all levels of governance, and ultimately to reduce the cost of doing business.

20. NSDI 2.0 How? Simple, assuming that a geographic network infrastructure is like other technological infrastructure, transportation, energy and information, and at the same level to be financed keeping in mind that geospatial infrastructure is the basis for the realization of all others infrastructures.

21. Thanks for your attention! GEOmedia, the Italian magazine for the World geomatics www.rivistageomedia.it

22. GEOmediathe Italian magazine for geomatics, is published 6 times a year. GEOmedia focuses on reporting the latest news and communicating new developments and applications in geomatics: all activities relating to the acquisition, processing, querying, analysis, presentation, dissemination, management and use of geo-data and geo-information. The journal addresses both technological and managerial aspects of the industry and profession.

23. GEOmedia is focused upon key decision-makers active in the geomatics field and is directed at commercial, academic and government professionals worldwide. Its readership is involved in land surveying, GIS, photogrammetry, remote sensing, LBS, Lidar, cartography, GPS/GNSS, cadastres, 3D city modelling and geo-databases. The web portal, www.rivistageomedia.it, is the preferrable windows to the Italian market for all the interested actors of the world geomatics.